I’m so excited about this cult offering!!

As many of you know, Gokyo is my favorite brewery. From their enigmatic leader to their bold sake and pioneering experimentalism, there’s a lot to love. I find their sake to have big aromas, relatively weighty texture and what really defines them is noticeably higher total acidity and amino acids than most sake. Not stratospheric levels, but many of their sake are around 2% total acidity whereas your standards are closer to 1.3-1.7%. Check out their youtube channel. 

There are four very special Kioke sake below. The “5” series are all brewed in a single wooden vat. This doesn’t give them a bunch of wood flavor as they aren’t rested in new cedar, rather there is a creaminess to them due to the increased oxygen in fermentation. I have exclusive distribution. You can find them at secwines.com online (links below) or locally at Uwajimaya next week. 

Gokyo 5 Red Junmai Kioke Karakuchi

Karakuchi means dry (and hot too). And indeed even the nose is very dry. I also get minerals, a little bit of herbs and a creamy sweetness from the Kioke process. On the palate, we initially get a bit of the barrel it was fermented in. This only appears on the Karakuchi though. The  stronger stronger aromas on the others mask the wood flavor. Look for grapefruit then dryness building into the finish.

Alc 15.0% - SMW +11.5 - Total Acidity 1.6 - Amino Acids 1.5 - Nihonbare (Yamaguchi) & Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 60% - Yeast No. 901

Gokyo Junmai Kimoto Kioke 

This one actually isn’t part of the 5 series. It’s a year round release but it is Kioke so a great reference point for understanding the others. It's also Kimoto, so a cold temp lactic fermentation. Pours just a hint of yellow. Mineral, rich and earthy nose showing malted milk powder and lemon drops. The palate is rich like ripe avocado. Lingering but not heavy.

Alc 15.0% - SMW +2.5 - Total Acidity 2.2 - Amino Acids 1.7 - Isahikari & Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 70% - Yeast No. 701

Gokyo 5 Orange Junmai Ginjo Kioke 

This is most similar in style to a Hiyaoroshi because it is only single pasteurized. It is labeled a Ginjo and indeed we are treated to a really nice fruity nose of tropical flavors like grapefruit and lychee. Intoxicating! There’s also stone fruit like cherry pit. The palate is very rich with lots of ripe persimmon. Perfect for winter dishes and crab season. Local folks can try this at Syun Izakaya. 

Alc 15.0% - SMV +1.0 - Acidity 1.8 - Amino Acids 1.5 - Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 55% - Yeast No. 701

Gokyo 5 Blue Junmai Ginjo Namazake Kioke

This is the only namazake (unpasteurized) of the bunch. As is common with nama, we get some chestnut on the nose. I don’t love that nose typically but the palate is sooooo good. Classic Gokyo with an assault of fruity flavors. It tastes much richer than the +4.5 SMV (lighter than water). My immediate association is perfect, fresh pineapple in all it’s glory including limey acidity. A blockbuster. 

Alc 14.5% - SMV ＋4.5 - Acidity 2.0 - Amino Acidity 0.9 - Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 60% - Yeast 9E

Gokyo 5 Yellow Junmai Kioke

Many of you likely haven’t tried a white Koji sake before. Koji are the spores which convert the rice to sugars so the yeast can ferment then. Typically sake koji is yellow/green colored but here the more citric acid producing white koji is used. The goal is to develop a wine-like acidity (but not flavor). You can certainly smell the elevated acidity on the nose but there’s also proper clotted cream. The palate is rich because of the kioke of course but also this is 80% polish so there are some of the nonstarch material in the fermentation such as proteins. There’s the expected citrus acidity too, like as if a tangerine had double the acidity. Great with clam chowder. 

Alc 15% - SMV ±0 - Acidity 2.1 - Amino Acidity 1.5 - Nihonbare (Yamaguchi) & Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 80% - Yeast No. 701

Gokyo Junmai Hiyaoroshi

I still have a few bottles of the Hiyaoroshi left. Add this and you have an even six bottles. Six and twelve are the easiest shipping quantities. Last year’s Hiyaoroshi was compromised by a poor rice harvest. It took months for it to open up but this year it’s back on point. There’s an enormous nose of honeysuckle and strawberry. While labeled as a Junmai, it is very much done in a Ginjo style using yeast 9E which produces lots of cherry on the palate. I love the soft, long, vanilla finish. Really versatile for pairings. 

Alc 15.5% - SMV +2 - Acidity 1.8 - Amino Acidity 1.5 - Nihonbare (Yamaguchi) & Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi) 60% - Yeast No. 9E

Hiyaoroshi are selling out soon so order online here for an even case or if you're in the Portland area, you can taste them at Nimblefish, Shigezo Izakaya, Momoyama and Yataimura Maru or purchase bottles in person at Mt. Tabor Fine Wines and Fulamingo inside Wellspent Market. January is a great time to support your local restaurants and retailers during their slowest month. 

I’m off to Japan so your next mailing won’t be until early March.